Golf: Ranking The Top Golfer From All 50 States

Arnold Palmer’s style and substance created a charismatic celebrity that extended beyond the golf course and hometown of Latrobe

Oklahoma

Bob Tway

Charlie Coe was a phenomenal amateur in the 1940s and Scott Verplank has a similar track record to Tway’s, but Tway gets the nod for his major championship win in 1986. His two-stroke victory at the ’86 PGA Championship was secured in exhilarating fashion with a holed-out bunker shot on the 72nd hole to defeat runner up, Greg Norman. Tway won eight times on the PGA Tour and ended his career with six top-10s in majors. The Oklahoma City native is also known for a blunder: he owns the highest score recorded at the famous island green at TPC Sawgrass. In 2005, he posted a 12 on the par-3 and found the water four times from the tee. Tway’s son, Kevin, has also been a professional since 2011.

Oregon

Peter Jacobson

The state of Oregon has been put on the map recently for the Oregon Ducks winning the NCAA Championship in 2016. Before the program began to rise, Portland native Peter Jacobson starred there on his way to a productive PGA Tour career. Jacobson won seven times on the PGA Tour and revived his game late in his career to win 2003 Comeback Player of the Year. He never won a major, but recorded six top-10 finishes in a nine-year span in the ’80s. Known for his fun-loving personality and goofiness, “Jake Trout” made the natural transition to the commentator’s booth where he’s been a part of NBC Golf broadcasts for years.

Pennsylvania

Arnold Palmer

RIP the King. Arnold Palmer’s passing in the summer of 2016 touched millions around the world, but his endearing presence was cultivated in the Keystone state. A native of Latrobe, Palmer learned the game while spending time with his father, a professional and greenskeeper at Latrobe Country Club. His passion for golf synched with his skill, which was quickly apparent after a win at the US Amateur in 1954. He was off to the races from there, soon turning professional to get started on his 62 career PGA Tour wins (fifth all time). He was one of the first players to make golf cool, winning with grace and panache in a Hall of Fame career that concluded with seven major championships and six Ryder Cup appearances.

Rhode Island

Brad Faxon

Some players are known for a discernible strong suit in their games. In his day, Brad Faxon was that guy with putting. Hailing from Barrington, Faxon led the PGA Tour in putting in 1996, 1999 and 2000 (a record-setting year of 1.704 putts/greens in regulation). “Believe it or not, I’m not really thinking about anything when I putt,” Faxon said. “I let my instincts take over. When I’m putting well, I feel like I can make everything.” Faxon parlayed his sweet stroke into 21 worldwide wins (eight PGA Tour) and four top-10 finishes in majors. Winner of the Payne Stewart award in 2005, Faxon is also regarded as one of the gentler figures on Tour, namely for his efforts in co-hosting the CVS Charity Classic in Rhode Island with Billy Andrade.

South Carolina

Beth Daniel

Dustin Johnson is hard-charging to assert himself as the greatest from the Palmetto state, but Beth Daniel still has enough on her side to give her the nod. The Charleston native won 41 tournaments in her career, including 33 on the LPGA Tour. Her illustrious amateur career of two US Amateur wins and two Curtis Cup appearances preceded a Hall of Fame-worthy professional stint. She won Player of the Year honors three times and made eight Solheim Cup teams.